08-Jan-2024
The Albanian capital is a good walking city. Well, there's one slight caveat to that, which is that the central area gets very busy, and feels as though it needs wider pavements. But this is a minor quibble in what has been a great few days' ambling.
Combine that feature with the super-abundance of cafes that I mentioned earlier, and you start to understand why I feel we might have been a bit lazy during our time here... But if a day contains a good walk and a good cup of coffee (often with cake), then what more do you need?
We've gone backwards and forwards over our routes, therefore, getting different views of features that have become familiar:
1. History
Inaugurated in 2012, this ensemble commemorates 100 years of Albanian independence
More views of the Pyramid of Tirana
Remnants of the Byzantine-era Fortress of Justinian
The Friendship Monument, a gift from Kuwait
Monument commemorating Azem Hajdari, student movement leader and later Member of Parliament, and his bodyguard, Besim Cera, on the spot where they were assassinated in 1998
The Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Church, very busy for Epiphany. It was completed in 2012
2. Colour
Tirana is big on chromatic effects, whether it's actual street art, or just attempts to liven up everyday objects with a bit of paint:
Rainbow zebra
3. The Grand Park of Tirana
This is a great place for a walk, with views, fresh air, and interesting glimpses of the past:
On the way to the park. The mountains surrounding the city were very clear that day
Remembering Francesk Radi (1950-2017), a popular singer/songwriter who fell foul of the repressive Hoxha government
Commonwealth war graves
4. Cafes
The Komiteti Kafe Muzeum has an interior that's a total joy
One of the branches of a popular chain, Sophie Caffe, produced this stunning piece of indulgence. It's like a cross between a cookie and a meringue, tastes beautifully of raspberries, and is sandwiched with buttercream. Yum, yum, and YUM
These were from the Hana Corner Cafe. It's a bit more expensive than the chains, but the cakes were super-delicious
5. Cheese and wine
Some of our crisscrossing involved finding a wine source that was more economical while still offering good quality. In which quest we succeeded:
An excellent Albanian white...
...and its equally excellent red counterpart
We've had some great cheese here too. This kackavall (the Albanian version of a cheese produced more widely in the Balkans) was probably the star of the show
I would be very happy to experience more of all these things one day...